In this issue you’ll learn about what the City’s doing to make downtown feel safer, what the community said about transportation system planning, where our community’s greenhouse gases come from, highlights from the recent Council meeting, Empire Avenue construction plans and an upcoming open house for the public, Welcoming Week community events, the map alignment project, backflow testing, Bethlehem Inn’s new facility and committee openings.

AUGUST 2018

DOWNTOWN SAFETY

The City is working to make downtown feel safer and more inviting in response to feedback from the public and downtown businesses.

A new Police substation on Oregon Avenue, next to the parking garage, will provide an additional presence for the Police Department to better serve downtown residents, businesses and visitors.

We’re also improving safety downtown by improving lighting in the parking garage, removing garbage enclosures in the south Mirror Pond parking lot and increasing foot patrols. The City will also be redesigning the south Mirror Pond parking lot and installing video cameras in key areas such as the parking garage.

“Downtown Bend serves as an economic, cultural, and recreational hub for locals and visitors,” said Drew Dietrich, who manages parking demand for the Economic Development Department. “With more than 325 businesses and numerous public events in downtown, public safety is a top priority.”

The Police substation will be a convenient place for Police to use to complete follow-up investigations, write reports and make phone calls, but it will not be staffed 24 hours a day so Police still encourage citizens to call 911 for emergencies and (541) 693-6911 for non-emergencies.

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COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ON TRANSPORTATION

Safety was the top concern from community members who provided input on the City’s Transportation System Plan, followed by east-west connections for automobiles, bikes and pedestrians.

More than 1,000 participants submitted 2,446 comments about transportation in Bend at in-person and online open houses this summer.

Nearly 700 comments referred to connectivity, the number of choices people have to get from point A to point B. Many of these comments emphasized the need for more east-west connections for all modes of transportation.

More than 300 comments requested additional bridges or crossings, sidewalk improvements, bus stops or expansion of transit services. Some comments noted the need to access businesses or residential areas by car or truck.

Many of the more that 200 comments on ”capacity,” which is how many travelers the transportation system can move around town, focused on the region’s growth and increasing levels of automobile congestion.

Learn more about this phase of public involvement, and see maps of community-identified transportation needs:

The inventory found that the largest sources of local emissions are residential and commercial energy use, making up 57 percent of Bend’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Non-commercial transportation made up 27 percent of emissions. The inventory also considered emissions from producing goods, food and energy products that are imported into Bend.

The City worked with a consultant to better understand local sources of greenhouse gas emissions to inform the development of the Community Climate Action Plan.

The Community Climate Action Plan will provide a strategic plan for City Council consideration. It will encourage the Bend community to take voluntary actions to meet a fossil fuel reduction goal of 40 percent decrease by 2030 and 70 percent decrease by 2050.

COUNCIL UPDATES

SEPTIC TO SEWER

A large crowd gave a variety of feedback to the City Council on August 15 following a set of advisory committee recommendations about how homes on septic systems could transition to sewer.

The SE Bend Septic to Sewer Advisory Committee wrapped up a year-long process and recently presented recommendations to City Council regarding financing and implementation of a sewer system. The Council will be discussing policy implications of the Committee’s recommendations and making decisions about next steps this fall. The mechanism for financing the project and the sharing of costs will be a decision made by the City Council after taking input from the public.

The Council has added another listening session at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday August 29 at the Bend Senior Center, 1600 Southeast Reed Market Road. Comments can also be submitted to Councilors in writing at:

15TH STREET SCHOOL MASTER PLAN

Councilors gave final approval to a master plan proposal from the Bend-La Pine Schools for a 79.4-acre campus on 15th Street near Knott Road. The action required a Comprehensive Plan map amendment and a residential density transfer within the 15th Street Opportunity Area.

The recent Urban Growth Boundary expansion planned for substantial growth in housing and employment in the southeast portions of the City. As the southeast area develops, it is anticipated that many students will reside in the area. The 15th Street School Master Plan includes a high school for 1,600 students, a middle school for 800 students, and a middle school/high school blended program for 50 students. The master plan site will be bisected by a new east-west collector street connecting 15th Street to Brosterhous Road, separating the high school from the other two schools.

COUNCIL INFO

BEND CURRENT SUBSCRIBERS WIN FREE CITY SWAG!

We are happy to announce that William Paul & Monica Welch are the winners of the City swag bag for the sign-up drawing! William Paul or Monica, you can contact us at communications@bendoregon.gov with “I’m a winner!” in the subject line and we’ll discuss how to get your goodies to you.

This month’s Bend Current marks the one-year anniversary of the online enewsletter. One year ago the City switched from a paper newsletter inserted into utility bills to the enewsletter to save on costs of printing and mailing a newsletter. Now we want to hear from you to help us make our second year of Bend Current even better. If you take this four-question survey we’ll enter your name into a drawing for another swag bag!

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EMPIRE CORRIDOR UPDATE

The Empire Corridor Improvements Project will greatly improve safety, multi-modal transportation options, access and connectivity for the neighborhood and the traveling public. The first phase of the project breaks ground in early September and Empire Avenue will be closed between NE 18th Street and NE Purcell Boulevard.

If this area is part of your commute and you want to learn more about how the project could affect you, please come to one of these Open House opportunities on Monday, August 20 to learn more about the project and what will happen during construction.

Phase 2 construction is expected to be completed by 2021. Stay up to date on the project at bendoregon.gov/empire.

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WELCOMING WEEK

Everyone is welcome!

From September 14-23, 2018 the City celebrates Welcoming Week, a series of community events that raise awareness about our status as a Welcoming City and the benefits of welcoming everyone in Bend.

The events will include a book reading, international food festival and community education workshops. They are hosted by various community partners that have partnered with the City to support the message of Welcoming Week. A full list of Welcoming Week events will be posted on the City’s website at bendoregon.gov/welcomingweek.

In June of 2017, the City Council unanimously supported that the City of Bend be recognized as a Welcoming City. Welcoming Cities are guided by the principles of inclusion and creating communities that prosper because everyone feels welcome, including immigrants and refugees. Read our Welcoming City Resolution.

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MAP ALIGNMENT UPDATE

The City proposes to align the zoning map and the Comprehensive Plan map. This will:

Provide clarity and transparency to the community about what can be developed and where;

Make housing and development permitting more streamlined for affected properties; and

Remove development barriers to reduce risk, costs and timelines

In recent months, staff have presented the proposal and answered questions in meetings and open houses. A City Council work session will be held at 5 p.m. on September 5 for those interested in learning more.

BACKFLOW TESTING

Did you get a backflow test due notice? Annual backflow testing is the only way to ensure your backflow assemblies are working and protecting the water we all use every day from cross-contamination.

Testing should be done by an Oregon Health Authority certified backflow tester. Backflow testers provide the customer and the water purveyor copies of the test report for each backflow assembly test they complete.

BETHLEHEM INN OPENS NEW FACILITY

A new, expanded Bethlehem Inn facility will provide shelter for 10 families transitioning from homelessness to stability in an ADA-accessible building. It includes a large commercial kitchen, a dining room and classrooms. On Thursday, August 9, Bethlehem Inn held a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the start of services in its new Family Residence and Service Hub.

The City of Bend’s Affordable Housing Fund contributed $450,000 toward Bethlehem Inn’s expansion and the City exempted System Development Charges to support construction of the new 18,200 square-foot family residential facility and service hub.

One of the City Council’s goals for 2017-19 is to connect community partners that provide housing and services for people who are chronically homeless.

To learn more about Bethlehem Inn, find out how you can contribute, or volunteer in the new expanded facility, visit the Bethlehem Inn website.

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COMMITTEE OPENING

The BEDAB provides a private sector perspective in advising the Bend City Council on topics related to business development and economic growth. Interested individuals must complete an application. Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Friday, August 24, 2018.

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Accommodation Information for People with Disabilities
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